"All the Years of Her Life" is a short story about the love a mother has for her son. The son does not appreciate his mother until the night his actions cause her emotional collapse, as he realizes the depth of her affection.

As the story begins, Sam Carr, the owner of a drugstore, asks his young employee, Alfred Higgins, if there might be some items in his coat pockets that he wants to leave on the counter before he goes home for the evening. Alfred immediately senses that something is wrong because Mr. Carr's soft tone has replaced his usual gruff manner.

Mr. Carr contends that Alfred has taken two tubes of toothpaste, a compact and a lipstick, but Alfred denies stealing anything. Mr. Carr persists in his calm tone, and eventually Alfred produces the stolen items, laying them on the counter. Mr. Carr...